Global Government IT Spending To Decline To $449.5 Billion In 2013: Gartner

Government organizations worldwide will spend a total of $449.5 bn on IT projects in 2013 , a decrease of 0.1% from last year, analyst firm Gartner has estimated. The figure includes spending on hardware, software, IT services, and telecommunications. The top three areas governments want to spend are: mobile technologies, IT modernisation and cloud computing, while there is also “strong interest” in professional services and Big Data. “Cloud computing, in particular continues to increase compared with prior years, driven by economic conditions and a shift from capital expenditure to operational expenditure, as well as potentially more important factors such as faster deployment and reduced risk, ” Gartner research director Christine Arcaris said in an official release . Previously, the firm had predicted 0.2 per cent growth in government IT spend this year, but said it has been forced to revise this because of the continued economic uncertainty many public sector organisations are currently facing. Gartner conducted the research in 13 countries including the UK, the US, Australia, Brazil, India and South Korea. Respondents reported that they are adopting public and private cloud-based services at an increasing rate, with 30-50% of organizations planning for, or having an active IT services contract within the next 12 months. The Gartner study suggests private and public cloud uptake is continuing at pace, with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) adoption leading to more interest in Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) deployments. The study also indicated that while big data is not yet a high priority among survey respondents, it is gaining momentum. “Government organisations have increased big data spending for improper payment systems, indicating the desire to tackle fraud, waste and abuse within agencies, as well as target upfront errors in revenue collection,” explained Arcaris. Gartner has said the mobility is increasing in importance among government agencies with demand most strong when the department has more decentralised staff. They also predict that the next wave of technology adoption will develop over time as existing hardware is replaced with mobile infrastructure and devices. The research firm also detected increased enthusiasm for bring-your-own-device schemes. Over half of the respondents (52%) said employees are allowed to bring their own smartphones to work, about 50% said staff can use their own laptop, while 38% said tablet PCs can be used in the workplace. India has recently seen few State Governments taking the technology route. Last week the Government of Kerala released an m-governance app that provides information about state departments and the various functions so that people have have a better idea about the workings of the government. Also, in April this year Government of Maharashtra roped in VMware to strengthen its MahaGov Cloud Project . In March, Microsoft teamed up with Maharashtra Government to develop apps for social cause. I believe it is great that State Governments are taking up such projects. Although, I feel this should be done on a larger scale by including more states. Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency

Government organizations worldwide will spend a total of $449.5 bn on IT projects in 2013 , a decrease of 0.1% from last year, analyst firm Gartner has estimated. The figure includes spending on hardware, software, IT services, and telecommunications. The top three areas governments want to spend are: mobile technologies, IT modernisation and cloud computing, while there is also “strong interest” in professional services and Big Data. “Cloud computing, in particular continues to increase compared with prior years, driven by economic conditions and a shift from capital expenditure to operational expenditure, as well as potentially more important factors such as faster deployment and reduced risk, ” Gartner research director Christine Arcaris said in an official release . Previously, the firm had predicted 0.2 per cent growth in government IT spend this year, but said it has been forced to revise this because of the continued economic uncertainty many public sector organisations are currently facing. Gartner conducted the research in 13 countries including the UK, the US, Australia, Brazil, India and South Korea. Respondents reported that they are adopting public and private cloud-based services at an increasing rate, with 30-50% of organizations planning for, or having an active IT services contract within the next 12 months. The Gartner study suggests private and public cloud uptake is continuing at pace, with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) adoption leading to more interest in Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) deployments. The study also indicated that while big data is not yet a high priority among survey respondents, it is gaining momentum. “Government organisations have increased big data spending for improper payment systems, indicating the desire to tackle fraud, waste and abuse within agencies, as well as target upfront errors in revenue collection,” explained Arcaris. Gartner has said the mobility is increasing in importance among government agencies with demand most strong when the department has more decentralised staff. They also predict that the next wave of technology adoption will develop over time as existing hardware is replaced with mobile infrastructure and devices. The research firm also detected increased enthusiasm for bring-your-own-device schemes. Over half of the respondents (52%) said employees are allowed to bring their own smartphones to work, about 50% said staff can use their own laptop, while 38% said tablet PCs can be used in the workplace. India has recently seen few State Governments taking the technology route. Last week the Government of Kerala released an m-governance app that provides information about state departments and the various functions so that people have have a better idea about the workings of the government. Also, in April this year Government of Maharashtra roped in VMware to strengthen its MahaGov Cloud Project . In March, Microsoft teamed up with Maharashtra Government to develop apps for social cause. I believe it is great that State Governments are taking up such projects. Although, I feel this should be done on a larger scale by including more states. Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency